‘Wit and Wisdom’

The mighty Wizard leapt back from the boiling cauldron. Misha, the apprentice, shook his head and closed his Beginning Book of Wizardry. This was the third time his mentor had set fire to his beard, and the week had hardly begun. How would he ever learn magic from such a bumbling old sorcerer?

Misha dowsed the flames, then asked, “Master, I have learned that Man received a special gift––one not given to any other creature. What is this gift?”

A plume of purple smoke suddenly rose from the center of the cauldron and with a loud pouff, the Wizard disappeared.

Misha jumped from his chair. “Master, where are you?”

“Up here, boy! Get the ladder!” cried the Wizard.

There in the rafters among the dried toadstools and dill weeds lay his befuddled teacher. The Wizard climbed down. “The potion is almost perfect,” he laughed. “Remember lad, the answers are always before you.”

Then what is the point of having a teacher? Misha scowled.

Still, his earlier question nagged. “Master, what is this special gift given to Man?”

The sorcerer stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Hmm, a gift no other creature has . . .” He frowned. “ . . . no, that was given to unicorns . . . something special . . .”

A long pause, and a loud snore followed. The old Wizard had fallen asleep. Misha groaned. Maybe he wasn’t the most gifted of his siblings, but did his parents think so little of his magical abilities they would apprentice him to such an incompetent fool as this? Misha cleared his throat.

The Wizard’s eyes flew open. “Man’s greatest gift is … he can run fast.”

“Cheetahs run fast, sir.”

“Hmm,” snorted the old Wizard, reaching for a thick tome. “I’ll have to check this out in The Book of Knowledge.”

Misha returned to his lessons. A moment later the Wizard jumped from his stool.

“I have it,” he cried. “The color is green!”

Misha stared in disbelief. “Master, I wanted to know Man’s greatest gift.”

The Wizard frowned. “Then I’ll need my Wisdom Hat for that, boy. Where is it?”

“It’s on your head, sir.”

“You’re absolutely right!” cried the sorcerer.

Misha hid his smile. If nothing else, the old Wizard was certainly amusing.

Another moment passed then the Wizard shouted, “Man can sing.”

Misha waited for his teacher to stop chortling. “Birds can sing,” he said.

The Wizard came to a surprised halt. “That’s true.” He turned back to the Book. “Man was given the gift to cry!”

“Sea turtles cry,” shrugged the apprentice.

“Man can laugh!”

“Hyenas,” said Misha, not looking up.

The sorcerer commanded the Book to speak its wisdom, but cranky at being awakened, it said nothing. He uttered a powerful incantation:

“Eye of newt. Boot of lead. Send the answer To my head.”

The Wizard spun upside down in the air.

“Oops, wrong spell!”

Misha could contain himself no longer and fell from his chair laughing. But when he saw his reflection in the wall mirror he cried out, “Master, I believe I have found the answer to my question.”

The sorcerer floated down. “Finally,” he chuckled. “I thought my antics weren’t working.”

Misha grinned. “Man’s greatest gift is his ability to smile, right?”

“Correct,” the Wizard nodded at his young protégé. “Only Man can smile at will.” He straightened his pointed hat and returned to the cauldron. “And never forget, young lad,” he called back. “A smile is a magical tool more powerful than the sword of Merlin.”

Misha grinned. He was going to learn much from this wise and ancient Wizard after all.

To read Christmas stories from past editions of The Kids’ Reading Room, check out “Stories” in Activity Center on the left side of the Kids’ Reading Room home page.

Anne Loader McGee is the author of the upcoming children’s novel “The Mystery at Marlatt Manor.”

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